October 17, 2024: SVKM’s Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Studies, Indore, held a successful Legal Aid and Awareness Camp for street vendors at Jinsi Haat, Malharganj. Organized by the Legal Aid Society of the School of Law, the event received an overwhelming response from both – the street vendors and the gathered public.
The camp was successfully set-up under the guidance of Dr. Anshuman Jaswal, Director, Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Studies, Indore, and Dr. Ashutosh Hajela, Associate Dean, School of Law, NMIMS – Indore. Mr. Aman Deep Singh, Faculty Coordinator (SAMATVA) and Assistant Professor, NMIMS – Indore, further gave the awareness camp the much needed direction and drive.
The anchor of this inspiring camp, Dr Anshuman Jaswal said, “We are overwhelmed by the positive response to our awareness camp for street vendors. Not only have we spread awareness amongst street vendors on accessing government services and benefits, we have also helped identify common woes faced by them, which will help in fine tuning the solution.”
More than 60 students of NMIMS – Indore along with the volunteers and members of BALANCING RIGHTS, a student-run organization working for the upliftment of the underprivileged sections, actively participated in the awareness camp, making it a super success.
The students, dressed in black kurtas and blue jeans, enthusiastically addressed a wide range of issues related to legal documents such as Sambhal Cards, E-Shram Card, Ayushmann Card, PAN Card, Asha Card, etc.
Dr. Ashutosh Hajela, Associate Dean, School of Law, NMIMS said, “Our students created awareness amongst the street vendors about government schemes essential for accessing government benefits and services. The Legal Aid camp also effectively helped street vendors to have one-on-one interactions and consultations with experts.”
The free Legal Aid Booth catered to legal as well as document-related issues of more than 50 local street vendors, along with the residents of nearby areas. More than 50 cards were issued and processed on the spot. Overall, the booth had a footfall of more than 150 people. The vendors, residents, and officials who visited the booth gained a comprehensive understanding of their legal as well as statutory rights, which helped empower them to safeguard their interests in different domains.
This was further underlined through two engaging street plays performed by the students of NMIMS – Indore. The first play revolved around the niggling issues faced by street vendors which included their continuous eviction or relocation, delay in the demarcation of vending zones, discrepancies related to the issuance of identity cards, certificates of vending, and other issues related to sanitation and hygiene. The second play aimed at sensitizing the street vendors about cyber-crimes and frauds. The performances of the students further highlighted the importance of online safety and the legal protections available to street vendors.
In addition to the legal aid and awareness initiatives, a comprehensive survey was conducted by the students to gather valuable insights into the challenges faced by the street vendors. The data collected will be further analyzed and then used to advocate policies and programs to address specific needs and improve overall well-being.
The response from the vendors of Malharganj and public from the nearby areas was indeed overwhelming as they lauded the students for their noble endeavor. Indeed, the awareness camp was a big success.